This is very early - third or fourth hand - in a $10 Poker Room SNG last night.

$10+$1 (real money), hand #1,378,641,403
Brentwood Single Table Tournament, 19 Oct 2005 09:04 PM

Seat 1: jiffman [ ] ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 2: victorylap ($1,550 in chips)
Seat 3: dads chick ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 4: NYJ86 ($1,480 in chips)
Seat 5: Aliera ($1,470 in chips)
Seat 6: Macbenac ($1,640 in chips)
Seat 7: siikki ($1,480 in chips)
Seat 8: Pep60 ($1,500 in chips)
Seat 9: karlkanal ($1,380 in chips)
Seat 10: HotPocketDB ($1,500 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDS
siikki posts blind ($10), Pep60 posts blind ($20).

PRE-FLOP
karlkanal folds, HotPocketDB folds, jiffman calls $20, victorylap calls $20, dads chick folds, NYJ86 folds, Aliera calls $20, Macbenac folds, siikki calls $10, Pep60 checks.

FLOP [board cards ]
siikki checks, Pep60 checks, jiffman checks, victorylap bets $30, Aliera bets $100, siikki folds, Pep60 folds, jiffman calls $100, victorylap calls $70.

TURN [board cards ]
jiffman checks, victorylap checks, Aliera checks.

RIVER [board cards ]
jiffman bets $400, victorylap folds, Aliera folds.

SHOWDOWN
jiffman wins $800.

I would really appreciate advice on how to play it when you flop such a good hand. I always end hands like this feeling I could and definitely should have got more. Or I get sucked out on!

How do I entice half the table to raise and re-raise into me like salivating lunatics when I flop the nuts?!

I dont mind the check-call, but the check raise is also good. The key is to bet enough not to drive them out of pot.

Check call allows you to make a small bet on turn and river and hopefully keep them in the pot. check raise followed by betting the turn may chase them out...i like to vary it depending on how tight or loose the players are. You will occasionally get sucked out if board pairs, but thats not something i would really worry about until the board actually pairs.

Originally Posted by Jiffman

I would really appreciate advice on how to play it when you flop such a good hand. I always end hands like this feeling I could and definitely should have got more. Or I get sucked out on!

How do I entice half the table to raise and re-raise into me like salivating lunatics when I flop the nuts?!

Flopping the nuts with a flush is one of those hands where I don't expect to get a big pot - it's just too scary a flop. Even if the opps also have flopped a made flush they know the Ace is still out there somewhere and even if its a single heart in the pocket, a 4th heart on the board gives them the nut flush - sucked out! I have folded pocket AA, KK, & QQ with flops like this.

Your check-call was alright as is the check-raise tactic, but in a tournament with a flop like that, the draws are pretty limited so expect a lot of caution and quick folds if any strengh is shown - your best bet is someone trying to buy the pot with a bluff vs someone holding a K-high flush with you 'caught' in the middle - I love to dream!!!

I don't mind the check call, but if you're going to do it you need to make a bet on the turn that prices them in ($100?). Seems like the flop bettor is drawing to a fourth heart and the raiser is just bluffing. Bet the turn and you'll lose the raiser, but probably get a call from the bettor.

$400 on the river - wow, that's asking a lot of them with their stacks don't you think? You trying to look like you're stealing by betting the pot against folks who are obviously drawing or bluffing? They're just going to let you steal it. I don't think you'll get a nickel out of them on the river (missed the draw), but I'd put out something fairly smallish and see if I could get a call.

Victorylap seems to be playing a weak draw, perhaps just a toilet flush draw. I can't put Aliera on a set or two pair with a check on the turn, so he has to be playing a marginal hand with a decent draw or a big drawing hand (K-high flush or strait-flush), with no fair chance to beat you.

With a bet and a raise coming around, I would take advantage of the action on the flop and throw in a reraise, making it $200 strait. You'll likely see victorylap squirm a bit and then fold (losing his $70 call), but if Aliera has the kind of hand I think he does (something like K8, K7 w/ FD or 9T, JT w/ FD), he'll have to call (gaining his $100 call). After that, you need to keep him in the pot with small bets. The key here is to maximize the payoff. If another heart or a likely strait out comes along, you can feel more confident in making a large bet, because if he hit his draw, he will have to pay you off (and might even raise you with K-high flush), and if he didn't have a draw, any bet would likely push him out of the pot anyway.

So check-reraise the flop and small bet the pot all the way down unless a draw hits (ideally a heart), then you can drop your $400 bet.

i like to bet out the flop here, about 40 or so, similar to the reason steve gave "he wouldnt bet here if he had the nuts". then if you get raised, call and check/call the flop. then bet out on the river, i'd like to overbet here, make it look like youre trying to steal or bet a busted draw. it really makes people go "what the fuck?!?" and i like to do that

Originally Posted by nu2mdwst2

i like to bet out the flop here, about 40 or so, similar to the reason steve gave "he wouldnt bet here if he had the nuts". then if you get raised, call and check/call the flop. then bet out on the river, i'd like to overbet here, make it look like youre trying to steal or bet a busted draw. it really makes people go "what the fuck?!?" and i like to do that

The problem with this is that even if he puts you on a stone cold bluff, its tough for him to call because he cant be sure you dont have him beat anyway....I really dont like this play. Giving the guy the right odds to call will make you more money in the long run, than the one or two times you trick someone into thinking you are bluffing.

I like to bet out on the flop, and then check the turn. Thats what alot of people do when they try and bluff the flop...they bet out, see if anyone folds. When they get called, they check the turn in fear that they might be beat. So, I follow that pattern.

Then I check or bet on the river...this completely depends on whether or not I think the guy will bet, usually I'll bet, hoping to get reraised, but if I"m sure the guy has a good hand, I'll check.